Angela Kent - HPL Head of History Research Centers/Special Collections, Mr. Bobby Banks - Assistant Treasurer, African American Library – Gregory Friends, Miguell Ceasar - Manager, The African American Library at the Gregory School, Hope Waobikeze - HPL Chief Financial Officer/Assistant Director of Finance, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Dubose - Assistant Director, African American Library – Gregory Friends
The Houston Public Library received a $150,000 donation from the African American Library - Gregory Friends for the purchase of much needed archival compact shelving.
The new compact shelving will support HPL’s growing African American archival collections. Since its opening in 2009, the African American Library at the Gregory School has collected and preserved thousands of historic items from the Houston African American community. Proper storage of unique materials will help ensure that Houston’s African American experience and history remain accessible for generations to come.
Gregory School Manager, Miguell Ceasar, expressed gratitude for the gift. “We are so pleased to accept this donation that will provide us with the opportunity to invest in the infrastructure of our African American archives and continue this vital work.”
Organized in 2017, the African American Library – Gregory Friends is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that functions as the support group for the African American Library at the Gregory School, a special collections unit of the Houston Public Library system. Its vision is to "assist and promote the African American Library-Gregory School (AAL-GS) to be recognized as a premier place to see, learn, acquire and preserve the rich historical accomplishments of African-Americans in Texas and the surrounding states."
For more information about the African American Library at the Gregory School, browse the Gregory School Digital Archives, take a virtual tour, and subscribe to the HPL Special Collections newsletters.